Exploring the intersection of life, live music and the business of online communities.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

We always like to keep it fresh and exciting here on Live Fix, and when you think of the history of the ocarina, live music and The Legend of Zelda there’s a lot of enchanting possibilities to explore.

When I read the press release about this Legend of Zelda live ocarina event, I was excited to share it with you because this online interactive opportunity allows us to combine gaming and live performance like we haven’t done before on Live Fix.

And for those of you die hard rock fans out there wondering what role the ocarina has played in some of rock’s most popular songs, all you have to do is listen to righteous ocarina solo in “Wild Thing” by the Troggs.

So whether you’re a rock fan or an artist looking to add the ocarina to your repertoire, go grab your nearest ocarina, read on and get ready for the main event!

On Saturday, May 7 at 6 p.m, CST., STL Ocarina will be holding a live online launch concert for the new the new Echoes of Gerudo Valley CD release.

And to celebrate, they’re inviting fans to help plan the concert play list by voting on their favorite Legend of Zelda songs, with the three most popular Zelda songs will be played by professional flutist and ocarina player, Heather Scott at the concert.

And of course, there’s fun prizes to be won too. (More on that in a minute.)

Like we always do with your favorite artists and fellow concert fans, I asked Heather Scott to tell us more about her inspirations and concert experiences, and how they’ve influenced her career as a ocarina player. Enjoy the interview, and then check out the full details about the event below.

LF: What inspired you to help put together the event? How did you come up with the idea?

HS: The fans were a big inspiration for this event. Doing a live broadcast concert makes the performance available to anyone no matter what their location might be. With the completion of our latest CD, Echoes of Gerudo Valley, it seemed like a great time to hold the event.

The concert event allows fans to participate in a creative interactive connection between video games, live music and playing an instrument. What excites you the most about the event?

I am most excited about interacting with the fans. I will be answering fan questions throughout the concert and will even be giving away some terrific prizes to some lucky fans who participated.

You’ve played and taught the Ocarina and other instruments for several years. What are some of your most memorable moments in your experiences teaching and playing the Ocarina?

The moments that are always memorable to me are when a student or audience member learns about or hears the ocarina for the first time. It is such a joy to share with them this unique instrument and talk to them about its history.

In what ways do you think other live music events can be more engaging, unique and educational or fans?

I think that having audience members participate always helps them to become more invested and interested in the event. For this particular concert we will be performing selections from the new CD as voted on by the fans. If you hear a piece that you voted for, you will be even more excited when you get to hear it, simply because you made it happen.

What was your first live concert like as an artist and what did you learn from it?

My first live concert was both nerve-wracking and exciting. I think what I learned most is that it’s not really about me, it’s about the ocarina. It’s about informing people of its beauty and hopefully getting them interested in music. Even though I felt that I made a few mistakes, the audience was still very taken with the instrument itself and still wanted to talk with me about the ocarina. As long as I am showing how beautiful the ocarina can be, I think I am doing an ok job.

If you could play one “dream” venue in the world where would it be and why?

I would love to perform in Italy at the ocarina festival someday simply because I would love to GO to the festival and be able to hear other talented ocarina players! I also think it would be amazing to one day perform in Carnegie Hall with the ocarina. This would be a huge triumph for me to play the ocarina in a traditionally classical setting.

If you could take one element of your favorite concert you experienced as a fan and use it to inspire your own live show, what concert and band would it be and why?

Speaking to my roots as a flute player I would say when I saw Jimmy Walker perform with Free Flight. The concert was just so much fun and they really put their all into their music. I always have fun when I play but I want to be so carefree when playing that I actually look that way and that it hopefully rub off on the audience.

What do you love the most about performing live? What elements of modern live performance would you could change if you could?

What I love most is that anything could happen. There is a bit of a risk involved. You have to know your music so well that you can recover from mistakes or distractions. The only element I would change would be for all audience members to always remember to silence their cell phones!

What is something unique about your live performance that fans might not realize or be aware of?

The live broadcast concert will actually be taking place in the same recording studio where all of my CD’s have been recorded. I would also like to share how much I enjoy being able to do what I do. It is truly amazing to be able to make a living by doing the thing you love most. I have to thank all of the fans as well as St. Louis Ocarina for making this possible! Thanks for standing by me and the ocarina. I hope everyone is able to tune in to the concert!

Thanks again to Heather for sharing her story and concert experiences. If you have any question for her or about the ocarina event post them in the comments below.

What: Scott and other will play songs from the new CD as well as songs from Final Fantasy, and some great Anime music. It celebrates the new CD and an instructional DVD, allowing viewers to follow along and learn to play their favorite songs from the video game, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the ocarina.

Fan Can Vote at www.stlocarinaforum.com, sign up for a free account and look for the voting poll under the “News and Updates” thread. The voting deadline is Wednesday, May 4, 2011.

Multiple winners will be chosen at random and announced at the end of the concert. Each winner will get an autographed copy of the Echoes of Gerudo Valley CD, as well as a Zelda instructional DVD.